Cycling Training Tips: Gain Strength, Not Weight

Cyclists can be a weight-conscious bunch, even when it comes to building muscle and strength. Nobody wants extra pounds when charging up a hill, but a new study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that ballistic exercises, like bench throws and jumps, improve power without adding muscle mass.

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The study followed two groups of men through an eight-week strength program. One group included jump squats, a ballistic exercise, while the other served as a control. The results found that the ballistic group improved their squat peak power by 28 percent and their rate of force development (RFD) by 49 percent, while the control group remained unchanged. At the same time, the ballistic group, despite the improvements, showed no significant change in muscle fiber type or size.

"Strong evidence supports that improvements in force and power characteristics such as RFD can lead to improvements in cycling performance," explains study author Jason Winchester, Ph.D., an exercise science professor at George Mason University. "If a person can improve their capability to generate force quickly, it can lead to significant improvements in function."

The jump squats in the study were performed with on a Smith Machine, which uses a fixed track to guide weight up and down. And the subjects used 30 percent of their one-rep maximum for weight resistance. To incorporate ballistic strength into your own training program, weighted jump squats are a great bet for building power, but you can substitute resistance bands if a Smith Machine isn't available.